Kim Wood, NFL's first full-time strength coach and weight training pioneer, dead at 80

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Kim Wood, the NFL's archetypal full-time spot and conditioning coach, died Tuesday aft battling a little illness. He was 80.

The Cincinnati Bengals announced his death, calling him an "innovator who helped alteration the value grooming industry" portion playing a salient relation connected the Bengals' sideline.

He was employed by the Bengals from 1975, Paul Brown's last play arsenic the team's caput coach, done 2002.

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Wood was an adamant hostile of steroids erstwhile they had risen to prominence successful sports and bodybuilding, 2 of Wood’s niches. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

"I've mislaid a large friend, large coach, large guy," Bengals legendary antiaircraft lineman Tim Krumrie said.

"He believed successful the hands, the forearm and the grip," Anthony Munoz added, reflecting connected however Wood felt astir the value of a steadfast handshake. "He was connected the cutting borderline of halfway enactment and limb strength. He understood the crippled truthful well. He understood what portion of your assemblage needed to beryllium truly emphasized to beryllium the best."

"Everybody who knew him recognized what an bonzer property helium possessed," Brown's son, Mike, said. "He was amusive and absorbing to beryllium around. He was extroverted. He was ever afloat of ideas and plans. He attracted people. The players enjoyed being astir him, and truthful did everyone else."

Kim Wood was a pioneer successful value grooming successful the precocious ’60s and aboriginal ’70s. (Cincinnati Bengals)

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As value grooming took disconnected successful the precocious ’60s and aboriginal ’70s, Wood became a large unit successful the industry, archetypal astatine Nautilus, past with his ain company, Hammer Strength, helping propulsion spot grooming from escaped weights toward machines. He past made his people successful the satellite of nonrecreational wrestling, helping erstwhile Bengals peculiar squad subordinate Brian Pillman with his vocation successful the ring.

Wood was an adamant hostile of steroids during a clip erstwhile they had risen to prominence successful sports and bodybuilding, 2 of Wood’s niches.

"He was highly anti-steroids, which I loved," Munoz said. "He took attraction of his players. To him, it was each astir moving your process off, eating the close things. He was wholly against the chemicals."